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Monday, October 27, 2014

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Halloween Book Trail! I'm Beth Revis, author of the Across the Universe books. My most recently book The Body Electric came out earlier this October, and it tells the story of what was happening on Earth while Amy and Elder from my first series were in space. It's about a girl who can peek inside other people's memories using tech from a futuristic world, but someone's messed with her memory first. You can win a signed copy of The Body Electric--as well as books from the other authors participating--by completing the Halloween Book Trail!

The Body Electric takes place in Malta, an island nation in the Mediterranean. In my version of Malta, several hundred years in the future, the two main islands have been connected by a bridge city with towering glass sky scrapers, android servants, and innovative resources. Malta of today is very different--it is a beautiful mix of ancient and modern, with lovely resorts next to archaeological sites, medieval labyrinthine catacombs beneath a bustling city.

So today, for the Halloween Book Trail, I thought I'd tell you all about some of the interesting spooky ghost stories of Malta and comparing them to the legends we know!

One of the things I love about ghost stories is how similar they are across all cultures. The details change, but there are many stories that are similar. In my area, there's a common story of the hitchhiking lady. A person--usually a young man--picks up a beautiful lady hitchhiking on the road. When he takes her to the house, she gets out, leaving behind her coat in the car. The young man returns the next day to give the lady back her coat, but the only person who answers the door at the house is an old woman who says her daughter was killed on the road decades ago.

In Malta, there's a similar tale--but with a few different twists. In this story, a young woman dressed in a traditional għonnella, covering her hair. She is still very beautiful though, so when she asks some soldiers to walk her home, they agree. At her house, she takes off her għonnella, revealing her beautiful hair--and in the light of her house, also revealing a wealthy, gorgeous house. She invites the soldiers to stay, but they decide to leave...although once they're back out in the street, the soldiers realize they left behind a possession in the house. When they return the next day, though, the house is dilapidated and run down, totally abandoned. [Source]

I just love that this story is so similar to the legend I know from my area--but twisted a bit. In America, where highways reign, of course it's far more likely for the connection to be made while driving than while walking on the considerably smaller island of Malta. In the American legend, the lady leaves behind a possession--in the Maltese, it's the young men. But even though the stories are so similar, they're also unique to each area.

Another legend that stretches across cultures is the White Lady. Areas throughout the world, particularly in Europe, have their own variation of the White Lady, a ghost that is often surrounded by a local legend of tragedy and is a harbinger of death. In medieval UK, the story was that the White Lady appeared in the house of a family in which a person was about to die. In the United States, the White Lady walks the road or through the walls of the house where she was killed. In the Philippines, many of the towns have their own local version of the White Lady, sometimes popping up in the rearview mirrors of cars, but disappearing when the driver turns around.

In Malta, the White Lady is specific to Verdala Palace. According to the legend, a young woman was forced into a loveless arranged marriage. On the day of her wedding, her father tells her she is to obey her new husband in everything. Instead--she jumps out of one of the palace windows, killing herself.

The Maltese legend, interestingly, gives the reason why the woman is white is dressed in white--it was her wedding day when she died. [Source]

Even within Malta, there are two versions of the White Lady--another one in the city of Mdina (which is featured in The Body Electric!) tells of a woman who appears always at eight in the evening. She is sweet to children, telling them to go home and kissing them goodbye. She tells teenaged boys who are unlucky in love that they will find another...or they can go with her. For the elderly men, she merely tries to lure them into her "shadow" to become a part of her ghostly entourage. [Source]

Malta is a fascinating country--and you can see why I chose it as the setting for The Body Electric! I hope you've enjoyed learning about these legends--and if you pick up The Body Electric, I hope you enjoy finding the details of Malta within the pages!

I'm the last person in the Galaxy branch of the Book Trail--to continue the hunt, find out more, and start a new trail, CLICK HERE.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

To wrap up my favorite fall reads week, I figured I should answer the same questions I'd posed of everyone else--even if that makes me pick between warm apple pie and pumpkin spice!

I've been talking a lot about my newest book, so I don't want to bore you guys with repetition. But I will say that if you're the kind of person who really hates fall--you miss the warm sunny days and you'd much rather be on the beach--then this book's for you :) The Body Electric takes place in Malta, a Mediterranean island, in early summer--so the weather's perfect, the sky is blue, and there's not a raindrop in sight. And if you're sick of pumpkin spice and apple pie (*gasp*), Ella's favorite food is a local delicacy called pastizzi, which are sort of like savory danishes, all butter and cheese and flaky crusts.

And also there's explosions and twisty mind games and some kissing, so.

In the effort of fairness, here's my answers to the questions I posed the other authors! Read on to find more and to enter to win a copy of The Body Electric AND all the rest of my favorite fall reads!

It's a beautiful (or rainy!) fall day--what book do you most want to curl up with and read all day?

Right now, I'm on a huge fantasy kick. I've just started Mary Pearson's Kiss of Deception, and you already know I loved Marie Lu's The Young Elites. I am also seriously considering taking a week to re-read all the book in Rae Carson's Girl of Fire and Thorns.

I love fall thunderstorms, but if I can't listen to one, I turn to music. What are you listening to right now?

But I also like movie soundtracks. A really good on is for the recent film, Maleficent. I couldn't find any legit YouTube videos of the actual soundtrack, but here's the feature song from it. Download the whole soundtrack, though--it's amazing!

And speaking of Lana del Ray, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that she has a beautiful song, "The Body Electric." I actually didn't name my book after her--I named it after the Walt Whitman poem--but this song is amazing.

Pumpkin spice latte or warm apple pie?

YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THIS AND FIVE OTHER BOOKS RELEASED THIS FALL! Contest is open internationally; prize won't ship until November, when all the books are out.

Friday, October 24, 2014

I first met Gwenda when we both signed up for an amazing writing retreat led by MG and YA author Alan Gratz. At the retreat, the focus was revising novels, and Gwenda and I were part of a group that swapped whole manuscripts. Gwenda's manuscript was an early version of Girl on a Wire.

Even reading that first draft, I could tell that I had something special in my hands. There's so much to love here. Circuses are rife with stories, and the perfect setting for this novel that focuses on Jules, a girl who dreams of walking across higher and higher wires. There's forbidden romance, a family curse, a touch of magic realism, and a ton of action.

Girl on a wire is a beautifully written blend of everything that makes for a great book. I held my breath for Jules every time she went on the high wire--and when she got close to Remy!

So, I asked Gwenda a few questions about fall! Read on to find more and to enter to win a copy of Girl on a Wire AND all the rest of my favorite fall reads!

It's a beautiful (or rainy!) fall day--what book do you most want to curl up with and read all day?

My reading whims are so changeable, who can say? But I definitely associate Shirley Jackson with fall, so I might curl up and reread We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Or a series that I love and want to just luxuriate in, like Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels books or Kristin Cashore’s Graceling Realm books. Fall is a truly great season for reading, with that slight chill in the air, or blustery rain outside that makes you want to stay in.I love fall thunderstorms, but if I can't listen to one, I turn to music. What are you listening to right now?

I have put TV on the Radio’s newish track “Happy Idiot” on repeat a ridiculous amount lately.

Pumpkin spice latte or warm apple pie?

Oooh, torn! But pie, because PIE. Especially with good vanilla ice cream. I do like a PSL every once in a while though.

YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THIS AND FIVE OTHER BOOKS RELEASED THIS FALL! Contest is open internationally; prize won't ship until November, when all the books are out.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Honestly? It takes a lot for me to recommend a middle grade novel. YA is much more my wheelhouse, and I'm always just so hesitant to pick up MG. The story has to be the best of the best, the characters have to grab me from page one, the novel has to be funny and adventuresome and magical and basically everything. My standards are crazy high.

So when I tell you that The Map to Everywhere is one of the best MG novels I've read since HARRY FREAKING POTTER, that means that this book is really, really special.

And I mean it. I don't even know how to describe this book other than I cannot remember being as in love with a MG novel since the first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. This novel features two amazing kids on an amazing adventure that has more creativity in one page than some books have in an entire volume. And it's got fantastic illustrations. And it has a character with a backstory so heartbreaking I cried. And is features one of the best friendships I've ever read about. I cannot say it enough. You want to read this book.

The Map to Everywhere is the combined genius of veteran YA author Carrie Ryan (of zombie fame) and her husband, John Parke Davis. So, I asked Carrie a few questions about fall! Read on to find more and to enter to win a copy of The Map to Everywhere AND all the rest of my favorite fall reads!

It's a beautiful (or rainy!) fall day--what book do you most want to curl up with and read all day?

Happily, I just had such a day this weekend and I spent all Saturday afternoon reading The Martian by Andy Weir. I couldn't put it down! I already have my next scheduled all-day read: Never Judge a Lady by her Cover by Sarah MacLean :) But of course on my nightstand right now: The Body Electric. You may have heard of it?

Beth's note: Remind me to slip Carrie a $20 for that sly reference :)

I love fall thunderstorms, but if I can't listen to one, I turn to music. What are you listening to right now?

This is going to sound totally random, but I've been listening to a lot of Pentatonix. It all started, as many good things do, with my love of Pitch Perfect - lol. I was visiting Ally Carter and she showed me the Pitch Perfect Starships video and that just got me hooked on a capella which led me to Pentatonix. They're even better with the bass cranked up :)

Pumpkin spice latte or warm apple pie?

Warm apple pie. With ice cream.

YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THIS AND FIVE OTHER BOOKS RELEASED THIS FALL! Contest is open internationally; prize won't ship until November, when all the books are out.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Silvern is the stunning sequel to Christy Farley's Gilded. I have such love for this trilogy (and haha! I got to read the third one already :P ). I've been critique partners with Christy since well before either of us was published, and I just am so, so happy for her and everything she writes.

Gilded told the story of Jae Hwa and her journey to Korea with her family...and discovery that her family was tied to a magical ancestry and a very bad god with evil intent. Silvern picks right up where the action stopped in Gilded, and you will be swept up in the beauty of Korea and the magical worlds Jae Hwa encounters.

So, I asked Christy a few questions about fall! Read on to find more and to enter to win a copy of Silvern AND all the rest of my favorite fall reads!

It's a beautiful (or rainy!) fall day--what book do you most want to curl up with and read all day?

For fall, I love to read a good chilling read that weaves with the wind’s howls and the chilly nights. Some of my current favorites are The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Madman’s Daughter, Gated, and Survival Colony 9. These authors know how to transport me to worlds that are deliciously creepy.

I love fall thunderstorms, but if I can't listen to one, I turn to music. What are you listening to right now?

I’m super excited about The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug releasing December 13th! So of course I had to get the soundtrack to get myself ready for the movie. Plus it’s a great soundtrack to listen to while I’m writing.

Pumpkin spice latte or warm apple pie?

Um, both? Pumpkin spice latte to drink with my apple pie. Actually, one of the best parts about fall is the foods!

YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THIS AND FIVE OTHER BOOKS RELEASED THIS FALL! Contest is open internationally; prize won't ship until November, when all the books are out.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

You can go ahead and hate me now because I was lucky enough to read an early incarnation of this book, on the beach, with Marie right beside me, so I got to flail my arms and fangirl at her while I was reading it. And this is definitely the kind of book that required a lot of fangirling and flailing of arms. This story is sort of like what would happen if Avatar: The Last Airbender met Game of Thrones with more super powers and (slightly less) killing. There are some deep themes hidden by fast action, and my heart broke for three different characters in the first fifty pages (don't worry; my favorite got some revenge going, so it was all good).

This is an amazing book. If you love fantasy, totally pick it up. If you love action and thrillers, pick it up. If you love characters who seem real and also kick ass, pick it up. You know what? Just pick this book up. Trust me.

So, I asked Marie a few questions about fall! Read on to find more and to enter to win a copy of The Young Elites AND all the rest of my favorite fall reads!

It's a beautiful (or rainy!) fall day--what book do you most want to curl up with and read all day?

Now I am fantasizing about a cozy, rainy autumn day. SIGH. I would snuggle up with Mattimeo (by Brian Jacques). Nothing gives me warm fuzzy joy like a Redwall book.

I love fall thunderstorms, but if I can't listen to one, I turn to music. What are you listening to right now?

Lullabies, by Yuna. All of her songs are on a frequent cycle in my playlists.

Pumpkin spice latte or warm apple pie?

Warm apple pie!!!!!

YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THIS AND FIVE OTHER BOOKS RELEASED THIS FALL! Contest is open internationally; prize won't ship until November, when all the books are out.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Guys. Guys. GUYS. The Walled City is...breathtaking. Truly amazing. I have honestly never read anything like it. Based on a real city that's worse than any fictional dystopia, The Walled City has fast-paced action, realistically drawn characters, and a world that is visually stunning in all its gritty reality.

There's a scene in the first twenty or so pages. I will never forget reading that scene. I thought to myself, "there's no way Ryan is going to make this character do that thing. No way." You know how in a book, you can identify the main characters, and you know nothing too bad is going to happen, right? Like, it'll look like something bad is going to happen, but it never really does, right? Somehow they always escape intact.

Not in this book. No character is safe. The bad things do happen. Just like in real life. But also like in real life, the good things happen, too.

So: pick this one up. You will not regret it. You will love every page--and you will cry for and cheer these characters on. It's inevitable. The book is that good.

So, I asked Ryan a few questions about fall! Read on to find more and to enter to win a copy of The Walled City AND all the rest of my favorite fall reads!

It's a beautiful (or rainy!) fall day--what book do you most want to curl up with and read all day? Any one of the seven Harry Potter books! I'm rereading them currently and it's just such a wonderful world to get lost in. Drizzly fall days fit right in with Hogwarts and goblets of pumpkin juice and wind-whipped matches of Quidditch!I love fall thunderstorms, but if I can't listen to one, I turn to music. What are you listening to right now? I'm kind of on a Woodkid kick right now. Especially his song Iron. It fits particularly well with one of the characters in my current WIP.

Pumpkin spice latte or warm apple pie?

I'm a pumpkin spice girl all the way. There's a small coffee shop I sometimes write in which uses scoops of real toasted pumpkin in their seasonal lattes and I'm obsessed. But hey, good caffeine fuels good writing!!

YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THIS AND FIVE OTHER BOOKS RELEASED THIS FALL! Contest is open internationally; prize won't ship until November, when all the books are out.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

I love the fall. It's my favorite season. There's rain and pumpkin spice and sweaters and fires in the fireplaces, and basically that all adds up to the perfect time to curl up with a good book!

There are a TON of amazing books coming out this fall, and I thought I'd spend this week talking about how amazing they are--and what's even better than talking about great books is giving away great books--ALL OF WHICH ARE SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. So, all this week, I'm going to be featuring one of my favorite fall reads, and you'll have a chance to enter to win ALL of them, and ALL of them are signed by the authors! So definitely stick around--every day this week features a new book and a new chance to win everything!

YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THIS AND FIVE OTHER BOOKS RELEASED THIS FALL! Contest is open internationally; prize won't ship until November, when all the books are out.

Friday, October 17, 2014

In the first week of November, I'm lucky enough to be a part of the amazing Compelling Reads tour. I'll be traveling with an amazing group of authors throughout North and South Carolina, and we'll be talking books, having awesome giveaways, and of course, signing books!

However: The Body Electric may be a little hard to come by. Because it's something called "print on demand," booksellers will have to be very limited in how many copies they order. If you want to ensure that you get a copy of The Body Electric for me to sign for you at the tour, please, please, please contact the bookstore early and request that they order it for you and put it on hold. That's really the only way to ensure that you'll get a copy of my latest book.

And! I will have a special swag pack for every person who gets a copy of The Body Electric signed by me at the bookstore! Every one!! It will include swag from both Across the Universe and The Body Electric--and the only way to guarantee you get one is to pre-order the book from the bookstore before the event. And remember: it may take up to five days for the order to arrive, so pre-order early!

To make it easier for you, I've included the bookstores I'll be at and how to preorder!

And remember: even if you can't come to the event, you can order a book to be signed

Monday, October 6, 2014

Today's the day--The Body Electric is finally out! I have poured my heart (and brain!) into this twisty book, and I hope that those of you who read it, love it.

Here's where you can find your own copy of the book!

SUPPORT LOCAL:
Any bookstore in America (and Canada, I believe) can order you a copy of the book! Just because you don't see it on the shelves doesn't mean that they can't get it to you. It's in all the major retailer systems, so it should take them only seconds to look it up and order it for you. Show me a receipt from your local bookstore, and I'll mail you some swag! <3 nbsp="" p="">
Even if you don't have a local bookstore near you, you can support indie bookstores by ordering a copy through IndieBound. Here's the direct link! This will get you a copy of the Special Edition of the book--it includes a short story, interview, world history, and other extra details! (Please note: the IndieBound website incorrectly lists this book as hardcover; all print copies of The Body Electric are paperback. I'm working with them to correct the issue.)

SUPPORT LOCAL AND GET SIGNED COPIES:
While the Limited Edition of The Body Electric is all sold out, you can still order from my local indie, Malaprops, and get a signed Special Edition. I'll be stuffing them all with swag until swag runs out! And if you live in the Asheville, NC, area, be sure to stop by for the launch party on Tuesday! There will be cupcakes and books and me awkwardly talking about cupcakes and books :)

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team!But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are SIX contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GREEN TEAM--but there is also a red team, a gold team, an orange team, a red team, and an indie team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the green team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!).

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by OCTOBER 5, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I am hosting Elizabeth Holloway on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt! Elizabeth is a writer of young adult fiction living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children and their growing number of pets. In addition to writing, she is a registered nurse, an avid reader, an out-of-practice artist, a karaoke singer, and a music lover. She is still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up.Her first novel, CALL ME GRIM, is available NOW. The sequel, DEATH BECOMES ME, will release in Fall 2015. She is represented by Lindsay Ribar of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

She’s here. Somewhere in the rows of
student artwork, the girl who could solve all of my problems is here. The
question is, where?

My eyes drift closed and the ring on my
right thumb tingles as it searches the art show for the girl’s dying soul. Her
time is soon. I can already feel the slight tug of her soul without using the
ring, but it’s not strong enough to draw me to her, yet. Her death is scheduled
for tomorrow, and there are too many souls in the high school gym for me to
pinpoint where the tug is coming from. The ring will have to show me where she
is.

The ring’s power forms an image behind
my closed lids. The girl—Libbi. Her name is Libbi. How the heck will I ever
convince her to listen to me if I keep calling her ‘the girl’?—stands beside a
tall copper sculpture that looks like three gigantic blades of grass reaching
for the gym’s overhead lights. Dark waves of hair spill down the middle of her
back as she tilts her head to look at the top of the towering piece.

I’ve seen that sculpture. It’s at the
end of the first row of artwork, just inside the door. My eyes snap open. I
spin around and sprint down the length of the gym, determined not to lose her.

There aren’t many people in the gym
now, and most of them move out of my way as I draw closer, affected by my
creepy Reaper aura. Those who don’t, get a shock of ice cold when I pass through
their bodies. I hate doing that, but sometimes it’s a necessity.

As I round the last partition I catch
sight of her. Libbi turns from the grass-like sculpture toward the open doors
that lead to the high school’s main entrance like she’s looking for someone.

This is my chance. My foot lifts off
the floor, but before I can take a step toward her, she pivots on her heel and
marches away from me, down the aisle on the opposite side from where I stand,
and deeper into the gym.

I follow, in my parallel aisle, catching
glimpses of her long hair, her skirt, the backs of her shoes, at the end of
each row we pass. Finally, she decides on a row and turns down it. I skid to a
stop at the opposite end.

Her bright, green eyes meet mine across
the distance and my breath takes a temporary vacation.

She’s freaking beautiful.

How’s that for fair?

Libbi’s lips bow into a pout and I can
almost feel the disappointment rolling off of her in waves. And, Lord help me,
I want to take that disappointment away. I want to make her feel better. I want
to see her smile.

I give her a small nod and smile
myself, but it seems to have the opposite effect. Her shoulders droop and her
pout deepens to a scowl. She looks away.

Well, that’s probably for the best. I
shouldn’t have noticed how pretty she is anyway. It’s not like anything can
come of it.

*****

Thank you so much for sharing your work, Elizabeth!
And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Elizabeth Halloway, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 24. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the green team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!